Friday Bliss #30, The Walled Garden, gardening

We have had a week of April showers. On Monday, the 1st of April, I took a walk in the walled garden in the park to see what was in bloom. I wasn't disappointed as I walked under the blossoming trees, saw the pretty magnolias that border the seating area in the rose garden area and took a look at the alpine plants in the rockery.

Some of my favourite Alpine flowers were there in the rockery inspiring me to grow more of these dainty plants in a raised bed in our own garden.

Meanwhile, there's more to see in our garden as the tulips start to come into flower.  There are violas and violets and Mr P has transferred his growing tomato plants into larger, individual pots.  They're well protected in the covered yard from cold nights and chilly winds.

The fritillaries grown in a pot have gone over now, but the parrot tulips have taken their place and are looking beautiful.  They were labelled 'Blue Parrot', but I suppose it was too much to ask for them to be true blue!  Even so, they're lovely.

Joining the linkup for Riitta's Floral Bliss #30

Mothering Sunday/ Mother's Day

photo taken last Sunday

The clocks went forward an hour so Mother's Day (Mothering Sunday in the church calendar) started with a quicker cup of tea, toast and marmalade breakfast than on some days!  We had phone calls from the family before we went to church.  It was an uplifting service with songs of worship that touched the heart.  

The children came in from each of their Sunday School groups and handed out bunches of daffodils to all the ladies.

(In the Christian liturgical calendar Mothering Sunday falls within the Lenten period which is a time of reflection before Easter.  The word 'lent' comes from the Anglo-Saxon for the lengthening of daylight hours around about the month of March after the dark days of Winter.  In some churches there's the custom of handing out bunches of Spring flowers at the Mothering Sunday service.  It originates from the days when domestic servants who lived-in were given the time off to return home and they usually took with them a small gift of flowers and maybe the traditional Simnel Cake).

I'm enjoying this bunch of daffodils as they open and, of course, the greetings cards from the children and grandchildren.

I'm also enjoying the flowers that our local daughter organised on behalf of herself and the other  children and their families that live too far away to visit.  (Mr P and I are looking forward to seeing them all during the Easter holiday).

In the afternoon our daughter took us and our grandson for a drive to Wentworth Village which we haven't been to for a while.  It made a change from our normal outings.

Wentworth Parish Church

Yesterday it was much cloudier and colder which is only to be expected as normal for this time of the year.